Sunday, 20 May 2007: A MAJOR South Indian medical group is planning a SR22 million project in Jeddah, according to a visiting Indian team of experts and businessmen. "We are planning a full-fledged hospital in North Jeddah spread over 10,000 sq. m. with world-class medical services at affordable fees," said Dr. M.I. Sahadulla, chairman and managing director of Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS).

According to him all preparations are underway to start initially a 50 to 75-bed hospital within eight months. Gradually, the hospital will be expanded to make it a premier health service provider in the entire Gulf region.

KIMS established in 2002 is a 450-bed world-class, multi specialty and tertiary care hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is situated on a six-acre plot with a built-up area of 3,25,000 sq. ft., amidst beautifully landscaped lush greenery giving an ideal environment for healing.

The hospital in Jeddah will be KIMS (India)-affiliated with staff from different nationalities.

"We will train and absorb Saudi doctors in KIMS (Saudi Arabia) as we want to support and contribute to the Saudization program of the Saudi government," Dr. Sahadulla said.

In India, KIMS offers services in 39 departments, combining the best aspects of health care - consultants of international repute, dedicated and compassionate nursing care, accurate diagnostic facilities, state-of-the-art equipment incorporating latest technology and skill, and excellent support staff.

"KIMS is a pioneer institution, which has invested immensely in the area of quality and safe patient care. It is accredited by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards International (ACHSI) and by NABH (National Board for Accreditation of Hospitals). KIMS is also ISO-certified by British Institute for Standardization since 2003."

Outside India, KIMS has opened state-of-the-art hospitals in Dubai, Bahrain and Muscat. Saudi Arabian project will be KIMS fourth venture abroad.

"We believe in healthy competition. Inspite of several hospitals that have cropped up in recent years, KIMS stands out. It has its own identity as a provider of the best medical care that is affordable to expatriates as well as locals. All our foreign operations have already made their mark and are running quite successfully, so we are very confident of the Saudi operation," he added.

KIMS in Saudi Arabia is being set up through Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) with an investment of about SR22 - 25 million. One-fourth of that amount will be invested by KIMS and the rest will be raised from investors - expatriates and Saudis.

Dr. Sahadulla was accompanied by Dr. M.A. Mohammed, managing director, KIMS Bahrain, and Dr. M.S. Karimuddin, pediatric consultant.

The Jeddah hospital will have all major specialties including emergency wards, outpatient departments with 10 specialties, physiotherapy, emergency medical department and day care center. The medical complex will be attached to a pharmacy, optical center, hearing and speech therapy center with modern hearing aid center. It will have all the modern diagnostic facilities like full-fledged laboratory, ultra sound scan, XRAY, fluoroscopy, CT scan and a modern hospital information system.

"Two Saudi families have expressed their desire to invest in the project," Dr. Sahadulla said without mentioning the name of the families.

KIMS is a center for many postgraduate and paramedical academic programs. The Ronald Regan Institute of Emergency Medicine under the George Washington University Medical Center, Washington DC, US is starting a two-year fellowship for their post-graduate medicine courses.

"KIMS is a pioneer in promoting Medical Value Travel and  has received an award from Government of Kerala for having maximum foreign exchange earning in the year 2005. With national and international accreditation, KIMS will overcome the apprehensions of medical tourist on issues of safe healthcare. It is also important to note that KIMS has tied up with Quality Healthcare Australia (QHA) for assuring international quality standards for all its GCC ventures."

Dr. Sahadullah further said that they were approached by various institutions in Gulf countries for opening medical centers through-out the Gulf. "Our objective is to provide quality healthcare at an affordable cost to the nationals and the expatriates."

The first GCC franchise was initiated at Bahrain and is a very successful venture and the investors were paid back their capital investment within three years. "Further Franchise is currently underway at Oman and Jubail in Saudi Arabia."

The management team will include Dr. M.I. Sahadulla, Dr. M.A. Mohamed and few other prominent NRIs and Saudi business personalities of Jeddah.

By Irfan Iqbal Khan

© The Saudi Gazette 2007